


Origins

by aldiara



Category: Harlots (TV)
Genre: Double Drabble, Drabble Day 2019, Female Friendship, Flashbacks, Friendship/Love, Gen, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-27 21:13:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19797874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aldiara/pseuds/aldiara
Summary: Nancy remembers how she and Margaret met.





	Origins

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Drabble Day 2019](http://asylums.insanejournal.com/drabbleday/).

Nancy remembers the day like it was yesterday. The house is asleep while she scrubs the parlour floor; there was rough trade the night before, and while spunk cleans off fairly easy, blood does not. At eight, Nancy’s too young, but barely. Lately she’s seen Miss Lydia eyeing her up.

She’s hard at work when there’s a bouncy step drawing near and a girl’s voice says, “Oooh, are them _leeches_?” 

Nancy curls her hand protectively over the jar by her side. “Aye. They pull blood out of humans, so I thought they’d work on fabric but they don’t.”

*

She stays hunched down, waiting for the derisive laughter or the casual blow. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees small feet in sturdy shoes. Getting kicked by those would hurt. She moves the jar to her other side. If it breaks and the leeches die, she’ll get the birch for sure.

No blow comes, and no laughter. Nancy looks up cautiously, straight into a pair of bright blue eyes. A girl her age, but pretty, her smile mischievous. 

“I’m Maggie Wells; I'm new. Can we put them leeches in Miss Lydia’s bed?”

Sometimes it's that easy: friends for life.


End file.
